


stars, in their orbits

by HazedHaze



Category: Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Star Gazing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-02
Updated: 2016-10-02
Packaged: 2018-08-19 04:42:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8190461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HazedHaze/pseuds/HazedHaze
Summary: Inej Ghafa had gotten tired of sitting in her room all day and wandering the roofs of Ketterdam and stealing secrets.
She had the urge to talk to someone about something, something she couldn’t quite remember, but could not find anyone to her liking.
//
or: some of my kanej feelings expressed on a cold night on a roof above ketterdam, city of sin, and below the stars, the lights of heaven





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kallliope](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kallliope/gifts).



> i figured i should write something for this beautiful series and beautiful ship and when's better to publish it than the ck release week?? enjoy.

Inej Ghafa had gotten tired of sitting in her room all day and wandering the roofs of Ketterdam and stealing secrets.

She had the urge to talk to someone about something, something she couldn’t quite remember, but could not find anyone to her liking.

At approximately ten o’clock at night, Inej, sitting in a mottled armchair in the empty spare room next door to the boisterous Dregs-only bar, put down the book in her hand (she hadn’t been able to concentrate on it at all) and made a swift climb to the top of the Crow Club, passing some familiar faces on the way.

 

Jesper called out distractedly a ‘Where you going?”- his left hand curled around Wylan’s waist, and his right around a chipped tankard. He was perched on a wooden table, and looked happier than she’d ever seen him, except for in battle, of course. She ignored him.

Wylan gave a quick wave, although he was immersed in a talk with Matthias about something she didn’t bother to hear ( _she did: it was about that new shop on the corner that had started selling rare, decorated rifles from Ravka_ ) so she just walked straight past.

Nina, wherever Nina was, Matthias followed, was at the bar across the hot, stuffy room, talking to some fellow Dregs members who were taking part in that new trend of rolling your sleeves up to show your gang marking. (They had been here less than she had and wore their tattoos with pride yet she could not, not like that)

Inej wanted to be around her friends, _they were her friends, right?_ , and talk and laugh and talk some more about something useless to everything yet meaningful to them. But she couldn’t, not tonight.

She rose up the stairs, each flight passing by her quickly like anybody else that saw her, and only paused as she approached the top floor.

_Kaz is here,_ she thought to herself, though she wasn’t sure why she had; _Kaz is here._

The voice, _herself_ , repeated those words until she forced herself to move her feet to the hidden ladder behind the panelled door at the end of the landing. Feet silent as always, Inej ascended to the top of the ladder and pushed the ceiling panel up and aside to reveal the Ketterdam night sky.

Scurrying to the top, she grabbed the trapdoor and carefully slotted it back in place.

Her trail covered, she turned and looked around.

 

The roof was not very large, although an assortment of wide chimneys seemed to grow from it like one of the jungles she remembered travelling through as a young child, and there was nothing much to it other than a surface to sit on and an edge.

Inej chose the edge.

She sat down with a small _poof_ that no one on the busy streets below could possibly hear, and lay her head down on the ridged roof.

It was not comfortable but it was comforting so Inej let go of any worry she may have, _falling, failing, friends, family, falling_ , and stared up at the stars above.

There were so many in the jet-black sky, despite the city’s smoky atmosphere and choking air that made her forget that anything other than it existed sometimes, and they all glowed differently.

Some shined and some were dull. Some were in clusters and some by themselves. Whether they were on the outskirts of her view or straight above, the stars filled her vision and reminded her that good things were always out there.

She just had to look.

 

 

Inej had spent a few nights with Nina, on the roof of the House of the White Roses, and had enjoyed the warm company that she hungered after most nights.

They’d met up at random, placed a blanket or two, and had lain down to look at the stars and their ability to form bizarre shapes called ‘constellations’. Nina had been shocked when Inej told her that she’d never heard of such a thing, _she had not seen the night sky often with her family, they worked too much,_ but told her all about them anyway.

Nina pointed out a new constellation every time they met up there, although Inej had forgotten most of them by now. However, she did remember the soft feeling of a hand on hers and a hand help up, pointing to the sky.

Inej, staring at the stars she could not name, could not remember, could not recognise, took a final peak at the infinite world above and closed her eyes. Colours swarmed her dark vision but they eventually blended into the darkness.

 

 

Inej did not know how long she’d been asleep, _how could she,_ but awoke to feeling of something touching her hair.

She felt her eyelids fluttering, wanting to open, but restrained them.

The stroking was rhythmical, _down, pause, down, pause_ , and comforting somewhat. The last person to touch her hair was Heleen but she had pulled it mercilessly. This person, who had slender, soft hands, was running their fingers through her hair carefully. Lovingly.

Just as Inej decided to open her eyes (no harm was intended, she could tell, but she still wanted to know who it was) a soft tune came out of the stranger’s mouth.

It was relaxing, almost like one of the Suli lullabies her mother had sung to her, and Inej kept her eyes shut. She could lie there a little while longer.

The tune carried on for a while, never repeating itself more than necessary, and the hand never deviated from its individual rhythm.

Eventually, it stopped, and Inej felt herself curl the edges of her lips downwards, the song had been loaded with kind memories and she wished to indulge them a little while longer.

But the stranger took a small breath; barely audible over the distant noise in the streets unlike the strong humming from earlier, and Inej felt them lean in towards her. Her heart started pounding and her fingers slowly curled into a loose fist.

 

“I know you’re awake, Inej.”

She recognised the voice but the sudden shock and shame of being discovered distracted her enough for her to force her eyes open.

Under the clouded moonlight, she watched his face, gentle yet teasing, ease away from hers. He threw his head back, as though he would laugh in his taunting manner reserved for other crooks and business men. But he didn’t laugh.

Instead, a slight smile laced his features and his dark eyes reflected the moon above, which was coming out from behind its shelter. His hand fell away from Inej’s head, that, she soon realised, was right next to his drawn up knees.

“It’s so calm up here, away from the city.” He was focused on the stars above, as he talked of himself, “Is this what it’s like to be one of your Saints? High above the rest of the world? Nestled in the stars?”

“Don’t be a prick, Kaz.” Inej pushed herself up and took on a posture much like her companion’s except she was looking at him as she talked, not away.

“You don’t think they’ll be insulted, do you?”

“If they could be insulted by you, they wouldn’t be Saints.”

He gave her a quick glance out of the corner of his eyes, and Inej saw they were glowing softly with a light not of that of the cosmos.

“There’s that Suli wisdom for you.” Kaz looked back up at the sky, and the ghostly smile grew, “You’re as unflinchingly strong as ever.”

Inej felt herself warmed by the compliment and let her legs slide out until they were flat on the smooth surface.

They sat in silence for a while, and just watched the moon emerge in its full beauty to illuminate the city better than any of the casino lights could ever do.

“Would you ever like to be up there?” Kaz asked and when Inej turned to look at him, she found his gaze, and it was _gently curious_.

“The ground is more to my liking.” Inej answered, knowing what he was referring to, instantly.

“I think I agree.” Kaz replied, keeping his eyes on her, “I would not know my way up there.”

“It is nice to fly but that’s all there is to it, nothing else. The seas have their waves and creatures, storms and ships. The ground has people and lights, nature and kindness.”

“But the sky does not have much for us.” Kaz closed his eyes and let out a slow breath.

Inej couldn’t help but find herself agreeing with him. The sky was not for humans. It, in its ever-changing glory, was better suited to the gods and saints.

“Yet we can’t help but dream of it and its limitlessness, can we?” She laughed a little and was surprised to hear Kaz joining in. She should not be surprised by him anymore.

“That’s true, Inej.”

His voice spoke her name with more familiarity than she’d heard for too long.

 

Before the laughter died out, Kaz stood up and patted his trousers down. He offered her a hand with the words, “Let’s get back inside. It’s far too chilly.” And she took it.

When she’d grasped his hand, she felt soft, warm skin rather than cold leather, and smiled wide. He looked at her with confusion but quickly brushed it off and walked towards the hatch.

They were still holding hands by the time that they reached the landing below.

“You should sleep in my rooms,” Kaz said, “Your room is too cramped for a cold night like this.”

She’d only returned with an “alright, Kaz” before they settled down for the night on opposite sides of the double bed. It was loaded with pillows and blankets ( _it seems as though he doesn’t like the cold_ , Inej noted) but they gradually moved closer to each other.

They eventually fell asleep, close enough to embrace, and content. It hadn’t been that cold after all.

**Author's Note:**

> hope u enjoyed it, i read through it to check it like once lol  
> //  
> follow me on tumblr @magisteriumm for aes/poetry/ya lit + @nincszenik for soc only  
> //  
> love y'all


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